Page 6 of Commander's Slave
She nodded again. “Of course.” The idea of being treated as a guest had never crossed her mind. Simple housework, she could manage. It was the prospect of hard labor and beatings and sexual servitude that had frightened her as she’d stood on the auction block. The work Draken was describing didn’t sound any more difficult than that which the paid servants of his household performed.
“Once Edek returns, he will be in charge of your schedule.”
Her stomach sank at his words. “But he doesn’t like humans.”
A shadow crossed Draken’s face. “Yes, I know.”
“What if he doesn’t want me? Could I belong to you instead?” She clung to the hope that something would happen to prevent Kall warrior Edek from taking ownership of her.
Draken shook his head. “As I already told you, I cannot own a slave, and I bought you in Edek’s name. Legally, you belong to him, even though he doesn’t know it yet. Even if he doesn’t want you, he cannot refuse such a gift from a family member.”
She swallowed hard. “Could he decide to sell me?” She quivered in place as the image of the tongue-wagging pervert who’d tried to win her at the auction flashed in her mind.
What if the pervert ended up owning her after all?
Tears burned in her eyes and she blinked rapidly, not wishing to break down in front of Draken. Later, once she was alone, she would surrender to her tears in private.
“For a Kall to sell such a valuable gift would be considered a grave insult. My brother and I have a close relationship and I do not believe he would even think of selling you. Do not worry, little Heslla.”
“Forgive me for saying so, but I cannot help but worry about how your brother will react upon learning he owns a human slave. Humans took his family away, his wife, his sons, and that is very tragic and I am sorry for it, but I cannot help but fear he’ll wish to take his vengeance out on me.” Perhaps she was speaking too freely, but there was no one else she could share her worries with at this moment. There was only Draken, the strangely calm Kall male who’d saved her from being sold to the tongue-wagging creep known as Teyya.
“It is my hope that Edek will not harm you.”
Betsy cringed. It was Draken’shopethat Edek wouldn’t harm her, but apparently he couldn’t say for certain that the alien warrior wouldn’t seek some vengeance against her just for being human. She thought of the electrified batons the guards favored and fought back a shudder.
Fear. Ever since she’d learned of her betrothal to Ambassador Merokk, her life had become entrenched in fear. She was so tired of constantly being afraid that sometimes she worried she might collapse and never stand up again. Yet she kept waking up each day, kept standing up, kept eating and drinking when sustenance was offered, kept putting one foot in front of the other. Kept breathing. Despite her fear, and her cowardice, she hadn’t yet given up. Even in her darkest hours, she had managed to keep going.
But if Edek proved to be heartless and violent? She didn’t know if she could bear it—what was the point in continuing if the rest of her life would be ruled by pain and terror?
Please don’t let them kill me. Please don’t let them kill me.
She’d repeated these six words over and over inside her head during her trial, praying for her life to be spared.
What if she’d prayed for the wrong sentence?
Given the unknown alternative that she now faced, what if she should’ve prayedfordeath all along?
“Come, I will show you the bathing springs where you can freshen up, then I will introduce you to the servants and leave you in their care,” Draken said, guiding his floating chair toward the exit of the dining room. “Please, follow me.”
She took a quick bath in the hot springs that ran through the basement, not daring to linger. Draken had been kind to her thus far, but surely slaves weren’t meant to take leisurely baths. He waited patiently in the hallway while she cleaned up, and she was grateful for the privacy. She was also grateful for her first real bath in weeks. She soon emerged from the hot springs, her hair washed thoroughly and her body scrubbed clean and smelling like some kind of exotic flower thanks to the perfumed soap Draken had bought her in town. After she donned a fresh dress and brushed her teeth and combed her long damp hair, she felt like an entirely new person.
The instant Draken left her with the servants in the kitchen, she experienced that familiar sharp blow of abandonment.I don’t belong here.Her chest ached as she stared at the unfriendly faces of the servants. All of them regarded her with open disdain. One of them even spat near her feet once Draken departed the kitchen.
The servants, as it turned out, did not speak English, nor did they make any attempt to understand her or help her get settled into the household in any way. Betsy spent the rest of the day trailing them around and trying to assist with the chores, but they kept nudging her out of the way and speaking to her in harsh, clipped tones.
She considered finding some corner of the house to hide in until the end of the day, but she worried one of them might tattle on her if she didn’t attempt to help with the various household duties.
No matter what, she wished to remain on Draken’s good side, if only so he might persuade his brother not to harm her.
When darkness fell and all the chores were complete, she grabbed her precious sack of clothing and followed the servants to their quarters, only to have the door slammed in her face. She attempted to open it and found it locked.
Tears burned in Betsy’s eyes as she stared at the closed door, pressing one hand against the cool metallic surface as she held her bag of clothing in her other hand. She was exhausted and had been looking forward to sleeping in a real bed for the first time in weeks.
Blinking rapidly, she tried to shake away her disappointment and ignore the loneliness swelling in her chest.
She supposed human slaves on the Kall homeworld rested at the very bottom of the social tier. It was no wonder they disliked her so. Though they were servants, their status was still much higher than hers.
Betsy wandered the house until she found an empty closet, and she sank down on the floor, hugging her knees as she leaned against the wall.
